


Save Me. I’m Trapped In a Nightmare.

by SterekShipper



Series: A Heart’s Price [2]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post canon, Theo’s POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23326918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekShipper/pseuds/SterekShipper
Summary: Fighting was a staple of Theo and Liam’s relationship. Anything could set them off. It wasn’t unusual to see them at odds.The problem was this particular fight didn’t go as planned. In fact, it couldn’t have gone any worse.
Relationships: Theo Raeken/Liam Dunbar
Series: A Heart’s Price [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634683
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Save Me. I’m Trapped In a Nightmare.

The door slammed shut behind him, his key already in the ignition. He pulled out of the driveway, speeding off without so much as a seconds thought.

Liam was so stubborn. Why couldn’t Liam just let things go? It’s not like he’d meant it. One comment and he’s being yelled at for being an ass. Like he’d been trying to piss him on. Which, okay, wasn’t too far from the truth. He just hadn’t expected Liam to get so defensive. Sure, he’d expected a response; he’d expected to be glared at. He’d expected to feel the anger pulsating beneath the surface, maybe even be called a few choice names out of frustration.

What he _hadn’t_ expected was the seemingly personal attack. He hadn’t expected to feel like the emotionless murderer he was before. Had he known it was such a sore spot, that Liam was sensitive about it, he would have left it alone.

In spite of what some people thought, he wasn’t heartless. Not anymore. He’d faced the literal meaning of that word too many times, to go back to that. Once you’d gone through that, once you’d been forced to face the source of your sufferance without end... there was no going back. He could never be that person.

Everyone knew he enjoyed pushing Liam’s buttons. They all knew he found it amusing but so did Liam. It wasn’t like he was alone in the taunts. Liam gave as good as he got. It had formed a large part of their relationship. He’d been close to Liam ever since he’d come back, ever since he saw Liam standing there. The fact he’d saved him, even unknowingly, despite everything, had stayed with him. At first he felt he owed Liam, a sort of obligation. Liam had saved him more than he’d ever know. Therefore it was only right, he kept Liam safe as well.

That night at the hospital though... something changed. They’d both felt it. Standing in that elevator, watching the doors close as he stood against a dozen Ghost Riders would do that. It was clear a connection had formed, a sense of respect. It was at that point they’d forged a somewhat tentative friendship. It wasn’t your usual friendship by any means. They’d been through too much to pretend otherwise. However, it was that same history that had cemented their relationship.

They needed each other. Whether they wanted to admit it or not. Liam was his anchor as much as he was Liam’s. It wasn’t long before it went further; the trust between them turning into something else entirely. It started off slow; standing closer together, sharing a relieved hug when they made it out alive. From there, it had become private moments which didn’t revolve around the supernatural or the next fight directed their way. They increasingly sought each other’s company, away from the rest of the Pack. They’d go anywhere where it was just the two of them.

They could no longer deny there was something between them. It wasn’t until a year after they’d all graduated, that they finally made their relationship official.

Through all of that, their bickering never ceased. It was almost a comfort, a fallback when life got to be too much and they needed familiar ground. Where they were comfortable.

In the heat of the moment, they’d both said some things they shouldn’t have. Things neither of them meant. They both knew as much. His phone had been ringing almost the entire time he’d been driving, meaning Liam had moved past the fight as well. Neither one of them could stay mad. Not after everything they’d been through together.

It was time to go back. His phone continued to ring for the fourth time. Liam would worry if he didn’t return soon; they both knew they could never stay apart for long. He needed to call Liam back.

What came next happened so fast, he couldn’t comprehend it at first. It came without warning. He never could focus when thinking about Liam, losing all sense of self-preservation. The skills the Dread Doctors had taught him, the ones which carried him through his path of destruction abandoned him. At the mere mention of Liam’s name, he was rendered a lovesick teenager. Usually he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Until now.

He really could have used those senses a moment ago.

A loud shot ripped through the quiet road suddenly, followed by the piercing screech of metal tearing across asphalt. His tires had blown, the bullet lodged within the rim. There was no way to control it; the truck sliding haphazardly. Thankfully no one else was driving by at the same time.

Small miracles.

The brakes did nothing to curb the truck’s descent. It was inevitable.

The truck rolled; glass shattering, metal grating painfully. He came to a stop at the side of the road, his truck on its side. A painful cough sounded deep within his chest, his seatbelt holding him in place at what was now the top of the car. Unbuckling himself slowly, he landed on the shattered glass beneath; shards of glass pierced his skin, buried deep in his arm.

Footsteps sounded outside, the vibration echoing through the late morning air. The other car screeched to a halt; the crunch of gravel signalling the approach of whoever had attacked him. They were in for a surprise when they showed their face. He wasn’t one to go down without a fight.

They pried the door open, leaving it a mangled mess. This was getting so much worse for them. No one touches his truck.

There it was. The hunters’ face. Present and within reach. He was going to love wiping that smug grin off his face. One lunge was all he needed. One lunge and he’d have the hunter right where he wanted him. He’d had enough of being targeted. If they want to pick a fight, then that’s what they’d get.

It didn’t go quite to plan though.

The angle proved rather difficult to manoeuvre, contorting the turn of his body. The hunter, on the other hand, wasted no time in sending a shockwave of electricity at his heart. What had started as a growl, immediately morphed into a scream. He seized; convulsions wracking his body. Trapped in what was now effectively, an electrified metal torture chamber, he barely survived being burned alive. Every jolt was magnified, a thousand times worse than the actual voltage.

It had apparently become the staple weapon of choice. This wasn’t the first time he’d been electrocuted, nor the second (there’d been a lot of battles against Monroe’s minions since graduation) and he highly doubted this would be the last.

Apparently knifes and poison weren’t good enough anymore. No. Why settle for those, when you can _fry_ a person instead? Sadistic psychos.

People called him bad. He never prolonged the torture. At least he didn’t get pleasure out of watching someone suffer. He’d always had a goal in mind, a task to complete. These hunters, the ones who called themselves ‘human’, did it for _fun_. They actually enjoyed it. The only thing they wanted was to see how much pain they could inflict on the supernatural community.

It was too much for him to bear. Within minutes he’d been rendered unconscious; his mind a slewed haze, the world drifting out of focus.

The last thing he was aware of was being dragged out of his truck, gagged, his hands tied with wolfsbane laced rope and being thrown in the trunk of what must have been their car.

❧

It was the buzzing that finally registered. Everything was blank before that incessant buzzing. Normally, he’d break the source; anything to put an end to its droning frequency. Problem was, the buzzing was coming from his own ears.

Readjusting to being conscious was always a pain; your senses skewed, your awareness impaired. Opening your eyes only brought a blurry world to life, your sense of touch numbed. Smell and taste were lost to the dark nothing experienced in that void. Your hearing was practically non-existent. That would probably have been better; it was hard to tell if he preferred the idea of complete hearing loss over that cursed buzzing.

Slowly, the world came back together. The first thing he could identify was the fact he was alone. Next was the large open room; walls of stone surrounded him, a lone door staring back at him from across the room. It wasn’t until he tried to move, that it became apparent he couldn’t. Turns out he’d been tied to a steel board with a chain; one infused with wolfsbane, if the singed skin beneath, was anything to go by.

Hunters.

Of course.

Everything came flooding back. Memories of his fight with Liam, the crash, the shock. He was supposed to be an all powerful Chimera. _The_ Chimera. He’d been manufactured with one plan in mind. One without a contingency plan.

To be emotionless, merciless and in control.

To be a successful subject.

To be proof of their success.

Now, here he was.

A prisoner. 

He hadn’t even put up a fight. One shock and he’s out. He could already imagine Liam laughing, already hear the jokes. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to be taken down like a newly turned wolf.

He’d never hear the end of it.

Oh and to top it off? They’d taken his shirt. Seriously. What could they possibly want that warranted taking his shirt off?

He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. The distinct clicks of footsteps approaching proceeded the hunter’s appearance. Two men strode in, one (clearly the leader) with a knife in hand. The lackey stood guard at the door. Pointless if you asked him. It’s not like anyone knew where he was. Unless they were more concerned with someone getting _out_ than _in_.

“Well, well. Theo Raeken. I must say, I expected you to be a challenge. I see McCall and his Pack have domesticated you after all.” The hunter in charge said, a taunting glint to his eye. A growl tore through the room, every bit as threatening as intended.

“Easy now. That’s no way to treat your host.”

This guy really doesn’t know when to quit. This was going to be fun. 

“A good host would have introduced himself. You know my name but I don’t know yours. Let me guess. Servant one?”

“My name is not your concern.”

“Why because I’m right? I am, aren’t I? Don’t feel bad, Servant one. Some of us were born to follow others.”

“I’m not going to warn you again.”

Oh, he was _so_ scared. “It’s adorable how you think you’re actually going to win.”

“You think you’re so smart.” The hunter snarled, pressing the knife against his neck. “Do you realise how easy it would be, for me to simply cut your jugular right now? I could stand here, watching you bleed out and there’s nothing you could do to stop it.”

“Except you won’t. If you were going to, you would have done it already. Which only proves my point. Someone else is pulling the strings. You’re merely the puppet.” It was worth the punch to see the anger on the man’s face. A laugh rose, his amusement obvious. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt your feelings?” 

“I’d be careful if I were you.”

“Why? You’ve told me everything I need to know. You have no power.” This was getting old. As much fun as it was messing with these people, he really was ready to go home and see Liam. “Let me go now and maybe I’ll go easy on you.”

There was an instant change. All anger faded from the man in front of him; replaced by a manic grin. “Tell me, who is it you said has no power? It seems to me like you’re trapped unless I help you.”

He narrowed his gaze, glaring. “I can get out anytime I want. I’m offering you a chance to make this easier on yourself.”

“In that case, why don’t you prove it?”

He snapped, pushing forward with his fangs bared, only to be stopped by the chains.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Let me go or I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” The hunter had the audacity to laugh. As if he wasn’t a real threat. As if this was all a game. “You’re in no position to demand anything. You’re helpless.”

That’s it. _No one_ calls him helpless. “Why don’t you untie me and I’ll show you how wrong you are?”

“Still trying to win you’re freedom? Why bother? There’s nothing for you out there. Not anymore.” What? What was that supposed to mean? “You were helpless to save yourself and your Pack.” 

Liam. His eyes flashed gold, his anger filling his entire body. “What did you do?”

“My associate is rounding up your friends as we speak. He’s going to enjoy killing them.” The grin directed at him only grew. “Starting with that boyfriend of yours.”

He felt a murderous urge for the first time since Schrader. _No one_ threatens the Pack. _No one_ threatens Liam. “If you lay one finger on them, on him, I’ll tear you apart.” 

“You still don’t get it, do you?” The hunter mused. “You’re not leaving here. You’re never going to see those mutts again.”

“I’ll _kill_ you.” He growled. That earned him a sliced arm and cheek. He didn’t even flinch. “Is that the best you’ve got?” The hunter hit him across the face for that one. He spat out blood from his now split lip, with nothing more than a huff of annoyance. “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” 

“You have no idea what’s in store for you.” The hunter really didn’t seem to like being challenged.

“It seems I’ve hit a nerve.” He grinned. If he had to listen to this guy ramble on about their sinister plan, then he was going to make it worth his while. “I hate to break it to you but if this is any indication, I’m not worried. I’ve been through far worse than a few cuts and bruises. I mean my boyfriend used to punch me all the time. He had a real obsession with breaking my nose.” He met the hateful glare directed at him with an innocent smile. “Come to think of it, he never really stopped. He did cut down on it, though.”

“I’m well aware of what you’ve faced. Let me assure you, it has nothing on what we have planned.”

“Which is what exactly? Not to be rude but I’m rather bored right now, so maybe we can get on with it?” He couldn’t resist a fake yawn. It paid off though when the hunter practically growled himself. It also resulted in another painful jolt of electricity, coursing through his veins from yet _another taser_. This time however, it was aimed at his ribcage; which meant he got to feel every bit of electricity tearing through him without the reprieve of passing out.

He hissed at first from the shock but soon started laughing. This was nothing he couldn’t handle. “You and your lackeys should try to be a little more original.” 

“Just you wait. You want original, well, that’s what you’re going to get.”

“You really want to scare me, don’t you? Sorry to disappoint but it’s never going to happen. The longer you take to let us go, the worse it’ll be for you.”

“Give it a rest. We know what you’ve done. How you killed you’re sister.” The hunter’s disgust filled each word, like venom.

He tried to ignore the pang of guilt at the reminder. Instead, he offered a smirk in return. “Keeping tabs on me? I’m flattered. I didn’t know you cared.”

“A monster like you - maybe we should show you how your sister felt. After all, it’s not like you need a heart.” He felt the colour drain from his face, the smirk dropping in an instant. He couldn’t mean- he couldn’t... “Oh, that’s right. You already learnt what it’s like, didn’t you? It wasn’t only physical torture you had to endure, what with your trip to hell and all.” He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat. He flinched as the hunter brushed a hand over his chest, directly above his heart. His heart which was now beating so fast, he thought it might burst.

“How did you-”

“We’ve done our research. We know exactly what you went through down there. Only this time, there’s no coming back.” This can’t be happening. He knew his fear was visible; his eyes alight with the realisation of what they wanted. He finally knew why they’d removed his shirt. They were going to cut out his heart.

“Not so tough now, are you?” The hunter’s grin was downright maniacal. It screamed of pure delight; delight at the fact they’d finally gotten to him. They’d found his weak spot. With that thought, the hunter walked out with his colleague right behind, (granted the lackey simply stood guard on the other side of the door). 

He, on the other hand, was back to being alone. Only this time, he was left to stew on what was to come. He was trapped. Once again, he was going to have his heart torn out. He was going back to hell. He would be at Tara’s mercy. This time though, Liam wouldn’t be able to save him.

Liam. They had Liam. They had the Pack. He’d failed. He was supposed to protect them. All of them. Now they were going to be killed as well and it was his fault. All because of a stupid fight.

He had to get out of here. He needed to find them. He needed to save them. There had to be _something_ he could do. No matter how much he struggled, no matter how much he fought to escape, he couldn’t break free. All it did was cause the chains to press harder against his arms, searing burn marks into his skin. 

All he could do was wait. Wait for the hunters to return. Wait for them to send him back to an eternity as his sister’s plaything. It felt like they’d never come back. Time seemed to stretch on without end. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t think straight. He was confronted by another troubling realisation; one which hit him like a ton of bricks.

He really was never going to see Liam again.

He was going to die alone.

Alone and afraid. 

Suddenly the door opened and in came the hunter’s, the main one carrying something. “It’s time to start.” He tensed; breaths escaping in stuttering gasps. The cold metal touched his chest, sending a wave of memories flooding back. The four walls encasing him as he awoke in that body locker, the quiet of the morgue... The chill running down his spine at the haunting call of his name. The clasps of the device set to rip the life from him, locked in place. The point of its metal barbs, resting lightly over his frantic heart, taunted him. Amidst the growing panic threatening to overwhelm him, he saw the small grin. The hunter was enjoying every minute of this, every ounce of terror caused by his own hands. It was a game, a sport and one he wasn’t sure he’d win.

“No! Please don’t.”

”The heart doesn’t belong to you. We’re only taking back what you stole.” He’d thought he’d been emotionless in the past. He’d thought he’d been as callous as a person could be; after all, he had planned to tear a Pack, a group of friends apart from the inside. The truth was, he was far from being the man standing in front of him. There was only one emotion he could find in that man.

Hate.

The amusement, the anger from earlier was gone. Replaced by the fundamental belief their kind were pests who needed to be put down. It was finally starting to sink in. He’d been wrong. This wasn’t just a game. It was a mission. 

He couldn’t think straight; his thoughts muddled. The all too familiar sound of his name, drawn out and eerie, arose. Tara. It felt like his heart was in his throat; he could hardly breathe. He couldn’t be going back. This couldn’t be real. All he’d done since returning, since being given his freedom, was try to be good. He’d done nothing but help where possible, while maintaining a low profile outside of attacks. Liam was the one who made him feel like he didn’t have to pull away, to hide. Liam was the one who always told him, he was one of them. Part of the Pack.

None of it mattered.

No matter what he did, no matter what happened, he was still being punished. 

There were faint sounds of a crash, gunshots and what might have been someone growling; intertwined in a distant place, far beyond his current perception.

“Go see to the disturbance.” The hunter guarding the door didn’t hesitate to obey the order, leaving him with his captor. “Let’s get on with it, shall we?” Why couldn’t he break these stupid chains? There had to be a way out. There had to be a way to save Liam and the Pack. “It’s about time you realised who’s in charge.”

He watched as the hunter let a hand rest on the device’s trigger, finger poised to push the switch. A small grin surfaced, the anticipation palpable. To make it worse, nothing had happened yet. The hunter was toying with him, playing on his fear... extending the torment.

“Don’t. Please, anything. Anything but this.”

“I thought you could ‘get out anytime you want?” The grin spread; the sense of victoryin it, taunting him. The man wanted him to know he’d lost. To know, when the time came, they’d all lose.

“Please.” His voice wavered. All he could see was Tara looming over him, that unforgiving stare permanently etched into her features.

“You know, there’s nothing better than hearing a monster beg for their life.” Sadistic. He was pleading with a sadistic hunter, who hated their kind just for existing. “Enough stalling. Say hello to your sister for me.” 

“Wait. Wait!” His pleas fell on deaf ears. A scream tore past his lips; the device had been switched on, its blades shredding his fragile skin. His rapid heartbeat felt threateningly close to giving out. The world around him became dull; the room blurred, the sounds muffled as if underwater. A harsh laugh echoed through the fog. Not again. Oh please, not again. A crash rung out but was lost, as the world became mute. Time stretched on painfully slow; every second a lifetime. Maybe he was already back in hell. For all he knew, this was his new punishment. The never-ending feeling of having his heart torn out. No break. No death.

Just pain. 

Was that blood? A metallic taste filled his mouth, with the wrenching coughs he couldn’t hold back. Suddenly it all stopped. The metal paused, deep in his chest. It should have been a relief but instead it only made him panic more. What was this? A trick? False hope?

A hand was on his chest, lightly spread as if holding something. Barely at the end of that thought, he choked out an earsplitting scream. Make it stop. He just wanted it to stop. For a moment, he thought they’d finally done it. Finally taken what they wanted. That was, until he felt a weight lift. His chest felt lighter, his laboured breathing continued. More to the point, he still felt a strong (albeit fast) heartbeat in his chest.

It didn’t make any sense. Why would they suddenly change their mind? Why hadn’t they killed him already?

The hand returned, this time on what seemed to be the restraints holding him up. It didn’t last. As quick as it had appeared, the hand withdrew. Sounds of a fight arose, even if he couldn’t understand what was being said. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t concentrate. He could hardly breathe anymore. What if the hunters were planning something else? Something worse?

He needed to know what they were saying but all he could make out were indecipherable fragments.

_‘...you hurt?’_

_‘...fine.’_

_‘...worried about... werewolf... hunters.’_

_‘...break the...’_

They were still here. He was right. They had something else in mind. Killing him wasn’t enough. What else could they want? The only other way to truely hurt him, was to hurt...

Liam.

No. No, he had to find the Pack. He would never survive if anything happened to Liam. The hand returned once again; it formed a pit of dread deep within him. What happened next, was fuelled by a desperate need to escape. A desperation he’d never felt before... even in hell. The thought of losing Liam hurt more than anything ever could. He’d sooner let himself be dragged back down through that gaping hole, than let someone go after the one person who saw good in him. The one person who wanted to _be with him._

The restraints had been released and the second his feet hit the floor, he lunged forward. He kept moving, following the hunter (unfocused as it was) as they retreated. Someone else abruptly cut him off, blocking his target. Hunters protect their own but so does he. He just wasn’t expecting the growl that came with it. A growl carrying a deadly threat. With it, any remnant of strength he had was lost. He shrunk back, only stopping when a hard surface arose behind him. What was another werewolf doing here? If the hunters hated them so much, why was one just roaming around and why was the werewolf siding with these people?

Trapped. They had him cornered. Everywhere he looked, the scene in front of him was the same.

Blank.

His gaze flickered around; searching for an answer without really seeing. He was beyond reason. He no longer registered the world around him. He was shaking. Actually shaking. 

A shadow finally caught his attention. It was directly ahead of him. In fact, it was getting closer. At least, it was. It had stopped moving; a fact that left him more concerned than ever, seeing as he couldn’t tell what they were about to do.

What was it? A hunter? The other werewolf?

Tara? 

No. There was something he was missing. The muted sound of someone talking broke through the haze skewing his senses. For some reason, he knew he needed to listen. To hear the person.

He wanted to but the words escaped him. They felt like water slipping through his fingers. A light sensation coursed over his eyes, its weight resting against the edge. It didn’t take long to realise he was crying. He swallowed the lump that had formed, a constricting grasp on his throat. The person didn’t stop talking, rather it actually seemed to have softened.

Wait. He knew that voice. Why did he know that voice? Not only that but it calmed him. He found he was breathing easier, relieving the suffocating pressure. It was his lifeline.

He missed a beat when the first word reached him. The longer he listened, the clearer it became.

_“...safe, Theo.”_

_“...hunters’ are gone.”_

This couldn’t be true. It couldn’t. It was too easy. He felt his fists clench, his breathing slow at the prospect. He pressed his knees to his chest; for all his hope, he couldn’t shake the doubt, the fear.

_“I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you, again.”_

That voice.

It couldn’t-

He looked up, slowly in fear that he was wrong. If he was, it’d brake him. The shadow begun to take form and he could barely speak,his voice cracking, when he recognised the person kneeling in front of him.

“Liam?”

“I’m here. You’re free.” 

Free. He was free. It was almost too much to believe. That was what took his last thread of control. It was all too much. His body suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. He fell forward, too tired to hold himself up any longer. Liam caught him, wrapping warm arms around him and refused to let go. Liam was always there, always ready to save him. No matter how unlikely. Liam always found a way.

“They said they had you. They said they would kill you. Kill the Pack.” He spoke through broken sobs, every breath a strain. Thankfully, the Pack weren’t there. At least, not in the room. They couldn’t be far because they would never have let Liam come alone. It was hard enough with Liam seeing him like this, he didn’t want anyone else to see him right now. He couldn’t exactly hide how scared he was but the Pack would never say anything. Not when they’d been through just as much.

“They tried.” Liam whispered. “Unfortunately for them, they only sent one hunter. Seems they always underestimate us.” Even now, Liam found a way to joke. To smile. He let out a shaky laugh. It sounded strange in their current setting. All things considered. “We’re fine, Theo. _I’m_ fine.” 

They sat there, neither of them wanting to move. He let his head drop, resting on Liam’s shoulder. After the terror he’d felt, the very real belief he wouldn’t make it out of this alive, he started to feel safe. Liam spoke again, though he didn’t seem to realise. His question sounded more like a thought. One Liam would never consider voicing. One which asked what the hunters had wanted. What they were going to do. What they _would_ have done, had Liam not made it in time.

He swallowed. It wasn’t easy to put the reality into words. Liam must have realised what he said because he heard a sharp rise in Liam’s heartbeat. “Theo, you don’t-”

“They wanted to take it.” He whispered, unable to bring himself to speak louder. As it was, it was mumbled into the groove of Liam’s neck. He couldn’t bear seeing the look on Liam’s face, once he knew the truth.

“Take what?” Liam sounded so confused. It made sense though. Liam knew him better than anyone. He wasn’t one to give into torture. He wasn’t one to give someone information that would hurt someone else. Not anymore. He’d been through his fair share of torture, as well. It wasn’t like he was new to it. That was only going to hurt Liam more, once he knew what they’d done to make him break.

“My heart. They wanted my heart, Liam.” 

Liam stilled. He could sense the anger threatening to boil over. It was a bomb waiting to explode. It had been a while since Liam had last struggled with his anger, his IED. What was clear, was that’s exactly what was happening right now. It wasn’t only anger he could sense. There was also determination. Liam was battling his anger at the hunters, to help him. Every nightmare, every sleepless night that followed, every unvoiced scream... he’d had Liam to help him through it all. If there was anyone who knew how much this hurt, it was Liam. He wouldn’t have made it this far without him.

“They were right.” What was the point in denying it? The hunters hadn’t lied about who he was. “They said- they said I didn’t need a heart. They called me a monster.” He may as well admitit. Everything they said was true. “They were right. I am.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Liam-”

“No.” Liam pulled back slightly. For a second, he panicked. He thought Liam was about to leave but he didn’t. Liam moved enough to see him but made sure to maintain contact. Even now, Liam was thinking of him. He needed the contact. Liam’s presence. The reassurance he wouldn’t be left alone. “Look at me, Theo.” Slowly he did, a wave of new tears ready to fall. “Listen to me. You are _not_ a monster, do you hear me? The only monsters are those so called people. They may be human but they are heartless, sadistic psychopaths.” 

He closed his eyes, his breath a shudder which forced its way out. “You know what I’ve done, Liam.”

“You’re right, I do. That’s why I also know you’ll never be like them.”

He wished he didn’t have to open his eyes. He didn’t want Liam to see the defeat in them. The fact was, Liam wasn’t going to believe him if he didn’t. “I can’t take back what I’ve done. I lied to all of you. This isn’t even my heart. I stole it. I killed Tara. I-”

“Theo.” Liam just wouldn’t let it go. “I know you’ve done bad things in the past. Like you said, you can’t change that but you can change how you act from now on. We all do things we regret. That’s the point, Theo. That’s what matters. You regret what you did before. You’re trying. You genuinely care; I mean look at what you did for Gabe. You said it yourself at the hospital. The Dread Doctors manipulated you. You were only nine when they took you.”

What was he supposed to say to that? Liam obviously wasn’t going to let him blame himself. It was nice. The way Liam never doubted him. The way Liam would refute anything and anyone who said it was his fault. Including himself. He found himself believing it as well. He was still ashamed of what he had done but maybe he wasn’t a monster, after all. 

“I’m sorry, Theo. This shouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“If we hadn’t been fighting, if I hadn’t been so stubborn, you wouldn’t have been out there.”

The fight. He couldn’t remember what it had even been about. It was just another argument, no different to any other. There was never really a reason for their fights; they just came out of nowhere, over the smallest thing. “You’re forgetting I had a hand in that fight.” It was after all, a two way street.

“I just hate that you had to go through that.”

He sighed, once again resting his head on Liam’s shoulder. “I know but like I said, it’s not your fault, Liam. You didn’t know this would happen. No one did.” Placing a hand on Liam’s cheek, prompted Liam to look down at him. “You saved me, Liam. You’re the reason I’m still here.” Tears lined Liam’s cheeks; he wanted to stop them, to not be the reason Liam was crying.

“I don’t know what I would have done, if I hadn’t made it in time.”

“You did though.” He leant into Liam; he wanted to be as close as they could. He wished they could stay like that forever. “I love you, Liam.”

There it was. The smile he had been wanting to see. The smile he loved. It was calm. Soft. It spoke of everything they had been through together. It spoke of their promise to always be there. “I love you too, Theo.” 

They were going to be okay. They had each other and that’s all that mattered.

“Let’s get out of here.” 

The walk to Liam’s car was long. He couldn’t stop looking over his shoulder the entire time, his mind running wild with thoughts that they’d missed someone. The idea there might still be a hunter loose around them, left him uneasy and tense, like someone was going to attack them when they weren’t looking.

He felt his body sag with relief the moment he sat in the passenger seat, with Liam beside him and the doors locked. A breath eased its way out in what was more a sigh, than a simple breath. Who’d have thought he’d ever be grateful for a car seat? The fact was, it wasn’t any seat. They were finally on their way home.

The Sheriff had arrived along with his deputies, stopping to talk to Scott, Derek and Stiles. It had been decided it was best if they explained what had happened, so Liam could stay with him. He had to admit he was grateful. He didn’t think he’d have coped being on his own, let alone having to hear it all over again. Before they left, Scott assured them the hunters would be arrested. One would need to go to hospital first though, due to Liam breaking his leg. It was still a shock to know that had actually happened. That Liam had attacked someone to protect him.

As they drove off, he sunk into the seat even more, breathing more freely with every second putting a greater distance between them and that warehouse. He felt a wave of sheer relief, when they finally pulled into their driveway.

They were home.

He and Liam were home. 

Liam held his hand, as they walked inside. The problem was, as soon as they made it through the door, they were accosted by Liam’s frantic parents. Turns out Liam had been gone for longer than he’d realised, nearly eight hours in fact and they’d been trying to call him with no answer. It didn’t help that he’d also been missing and unreachable; not to mention that they’d just returned looking like something the cat dragged in, including the dried blood covering his chest. He and Liam had to keep reassuring them everything was alright, that they were both okay. Eventually, they were allowed to go. It was lucky they did because he felt about ready to keel over.

Neither he nor Liam said a word as they made their way to Liam’s room. Silently, he curled up under the warm, inviting covers as Liam climbed in alongside him, gently wrapped in both arms.

That’s how they stayed. Neither one wanting to move. His heartbeat slowed, returning to a regular, healthy rhythm as he thanked the God he hadn’t believed in before today for giving him Liam. He didn’t care what was going on in the world. His world was right here, inside these four walls. He had everything he could ever need and more. Since his childhood, he’d had to fend for himself. He’d had no one to look out for him, excluding the misconstrued encouragement from the Dread Doctors. Now, that had all changed. It was different and all because Liam had his back. He no longer needed to fight for himself because he has someone fighting with him.

He’d almost lost Liam and he wasn’t about to let anything do so again. As he fell asleep in the arms of the man he loves, he promised himself he wasn’t going to let the world tear them apart.

Not on his watch.

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is. Theo’s side of the story. Seeing Theo hurting is hard but the comfort that comes with it helps ease that pain. Theo deserves better.
> 
> I hope y’all enjoyed it. Thank you for reading.


End file.
